Continuous pickling apparatus



June 7, W32. R. M. FENTON CONTINUOUS P ICKLING APPARATU 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9, 1950 INVENTOR. Hag/ M 5 6% faflz R. M. FENTON June 7, 1932.

CONT INUOUS P I CKLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 9, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Ray M ezgfwz r 2? M J*@ 672/ ATTOFEVE% Patented June 7, 1932 RAY M. FENTON, F YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO,

PATENT OFFICE ASSIGNOR TO THE NEWTON STEEL COM- PANY, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO CONTINUOUS PIGKLING APPARATUS Application filed August 9, 1930. Serial No. 474,265.

This invention relates to continuous pickling apparatus and more specifically to apparatus adapted to operate continuously for the pickling of sheet metal sheets, which 5 is usually accomplished by immersing such sheets in a suitable acid bath. A

As is well known to those familiar with the art of metal working, the pickling of sheet metal sheets has heretofore been accom- 110 plished by stacking such sheets in bundles on trays and then reciprocating such trays in the proper acid bath. This method of treating and pickling sheets is undesirable in that such method cannot be employed with the socalled continuous method of making sheet metal. \Vhen sheet metal is rolled it is very apparent that the production of such sheets can be materially expedited if the sheets can be started through the chain of apparatus 29 and conveyed therethrough without interruption from beginning to end. By employing pickling apparatus in which it is necessary to pile the sheets and to convey the same in such piles to a pickling apparatus and then oscillatably suspend the same in the acid bath, the continuous movement of the sheets through the finishing apparatus is interrupted, with a consequent waste of time and appreciable slowing down of production. Any 30 apparatus for continuously pickling sheet metal must be capable of operating upon such sheets as the same are discharged from the mill or other apparatus employed in the finishing of such sheets and to receive the same automatically and without the necessity of attaching adjacent sheets to each other to form a continuous strip of metal as has been necessary with pickling apparatus of the continuous type heretofore employed.

With the relatively high speed at which the sheet metal passes through the finishing apparatus and, further, due to the weight of such sheets, any design of continuous pickling apparatus heretofore attempted to be employed has been unsatisfactory due to the excessive wear to which such apparatus was subjected, due to the above named speed and weight of such sheets. Further, any pickling apparatus which may be efficiently employed for the purpose of conveying sheets through a pickling bath, must be provided with means i for insuring that the sheet will be properly submerged and, further, that such submersions inthe acid bath will be effected without a spklashing of such acid from the containing tan It is among the objects of my invention to provide a continuous sheet pickling apparatus which shall have all of the above named desirable characteristics. Other objects of my invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus comprising my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on a plane substantially indicated by the line IIII, Fig. 1; and Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, fragmentary detail views of portions of the apparatus il lustrated in the previous figures.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and more especially to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus here illustrated consists of a. tank 1 adapted to contain the acid employed for the purpose of pickling or otherwise treating the sheets conveyed therethrough, which tank has mounted thereon the apparatus comprising my invention about to be described, and has externally associated therewith-- rolls, such as 2 and 3,,whichrespectively convey the sheets to and from the pickling apparatus mounted on such tank.

Adjacent the ends of the tank 1 are housings 4 and 5 which may be supported on such tank by laterally extending bracket arms 6 and 7. The housings 4 have journaled therein rolls 8 which are of a suitably soft material, such as bronze or brass so as not to mark the sheets as the same are-fed therethrough. Suitable adjusting means, such as 9, will be provided for maintaining the proper separation between the rolls 8 so as to accommodate sheets of varying thicknesses. The housings 4:- and 5 have journaled therein shafts 10, 11, 12 and.

5 13, which extend transversely of the tank 1 and are each provided with sprocket wheels such as 13' and 14. The sprocket wheels 14, two of which are secured to each of the shafts 11 and 13, serve as means for driving and supporting endless chains, such as 15, which tending side frame members 20 and 21 which, respectively, interconnect the housings 4 and 5. The uppersections of the chains 15 are, therefore, suitably supported so that the chains may travel in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. The sprockets 13,'as above indicated, serve as means for driving and supporting the lower chains 16, which willtravel in a counter clockwise direction, as

- viewedin Fig. 2.

The sheets to be pickled or otherwise treated are fed into position between the lower section of the upper chains 15 and the up per sections of the lower chains 16 by means of the rolls 8 and such chains will therefore convey such sheets through the acid contained in the tank 1. Excessive sagging of the chains which convey the sheet, due to the weight of such sheets, is prevented by rollers, such as 22, which extend transversely of the tank 1 and are terminally supported by brackets 23 which depends from the side frame members 20 and 21. The rolls 22 are preferably hollow, air-tight cylinders, each including a shell 24 which is welded or other- -wise secured in liquid and air-tight relation to disk-like end members 25, which serve as a means of support. for journal pins 26. The journal pins 26 are rotatably supported in journal blocks 27 which are vertically adjustably secured between the laterally projecting legs of the angle bracket members 23 by means of bolts 28. The laterally projecting legs of the angle brackets 23, being provided with a plurality of vertically space d laterally registering apertures to receive bolts like 28, provide a means for. vertically ad ust1ng the rollers 22 so as to compensate for wear on other inequalities in the length of the chains supported thereby. The provision of hollow rollers 22 is of particular importance in that when such rollers are submerged in the acid bath, the buoyancy incidental to the liquid-displacement effected by such rollers will cause the same to be urged upwardly, thereby equalizing to a greater or less degree the effect of the downward pressure exerted thereon by the chains and the sheets conveyed by such chains, so that a free turning or rotation of the rolls 22 results, which would not result in a number of instances if the contact between the chains and the rolls was relied upon to overcome the frictional resistance between the bearing blocks and the trunnion pins 26. By providing this form of construction the length of the operating life of the apparatus is considerably increased and, further, the passage of the sheets through the bath is appreciably facilitated.

The housings 5 have journalled therein rolls 29 and 30 which are preferably covered with rubber or like material so that as the sheets pass therethrough all of the acid or like material adhering to the sheets will be removed therefrom so as to conserve such acid and, further, to prevent the same from being carried along with the sheets into subsequent treating apparatus, which would be destroyed by the action of such acid.

Suitable driving means for the several parts of the above described apparatus is providedby a motor 31, which is connected by means of a drive member 32 to a shaft 33, which has secured thereto a gear 34 which meshes with a gear 35 secured to the shaft 11. The shaft 11 may be intergeared with the shaft 10 and a chain 36 may be provided to establish driving communication between the rolls and shafts in the housing 4, with the rolls and shafts in the housing 5.

From the above description it will be noted that I have provided a new and improved form of construction of continuous pickling apparatus which is capable of accomplishing the result for which it is designed with a greater degree of speed and economy than has been possible with any form of apparatus heretofore employed, and further that numerous features of advantage reside in the above described form of construction which are believed to be so apparent to those familiar with the ,art of met-a1 working that a reiteration thereof is unnecessary.

, Other forms may be employed embodying the features of my invention instead of the one here' explained, change being made in the form or construction, provided the elements stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated elements be employed.

' I therefore particularly pointout and distinctly claim as my invention 1. In apparatus of the class described; a tank for sheet-treating fluid, endless conveyor means mounted over said tank anddepending into the fluid, and buoyant roller means naeaa'n for supporting said conveyor means at least in part.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a tank for sheet-treating fluid, endless conveyor means mounted over said tank and depending into the fluid, and hollow air-tight rolls for supporting said conveyor means at 7 least in part.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a

10 tank for sheet-treating fluid, superimposed endless conveyor means mounted over said tank and depending into the fluid, and hollow air-tight rolls under said conveyor means.

l 4;. In apparatus of the class described, a tank for sheet-treating fluid, superimposed endless conveyor means mounted over said tank and depending into the fluid, rolls of material softer than the material of the sheets to be treated for feeding such sheets I to said conveyor means, hollow air-tight rolls under said conveyor means, and rolls having faces of resilient material for receiving such sheets from the discharge end of said conveyor means.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a tank for sheet-treating fluid, means mounted thereover for conveying metal sheets through said treating fluid, said means comprising spaced end housings extending transversely of said tank, endless conveyor chains arranged in overlying relationship insaid v tank, means associated with said housings for driving said chains, and hollow air-tight roller means for movably supporting por- 9. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination with a tank for sheet treating 8o liquid; of housings extending transversely of and mounted on opposite ends of said tank; endless conveyor means dpositioned in overl ing relation and exten ing betweensaid ousings, said conveyor means adapted 85 to coact along their respective upper and. lower surfaces to convey sheets through said liquid; rolls of material softer than the material of the sheets to be treated carried b one pair of said housings for feeding'such sheets to said conveyor, and rolls carried by the other pair of said housings and having surfaces of resilient material for-removing treating liquid adhering to said sheets when discharged from said conveyor chains.

Signed by me this 7th day of August, 1930.

RAY M. FENTQNL tions of said chains intermediately of said housings.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a tank for sheet-treating fluid, means mounted 40 over said tank for conveying metal sheets through such treating fluid, said means comprising spaced end housings extending transversely of said tank, endless conve or chains arranged in over-lying relations in said tank, means associated with sai housings for driving said chains, and hollow air-tight roller means under the lower of said conveyor chains intermediate of said housings. 7. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination with a tank for sheet treating fluid, of means mounted over said tank for conveying metal sheets through said treating fluid, said means comprising spaced housings extending transversely of said tank, endless conveyor chains arranged in overlying relationship in said tank, means associated with said housings for rotatabl supporting said chains, and means includ ing rotatable air tight cylinders for mov ably supporting submerged portions of oneof said conveyor chains intermediately of said housings.-

8. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with. a tank for sheet treating 

